Printing mechanism



26, w35-` A. Jj sHlcKMAN ET AL 01,73

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed ot. 1Q 1954 5 sheets-sheet 2 y ABE J. SmcKmAN d1 WALTER. A.THuM

' y v TToP/VEY May 26S-193,6.. A. J. sHlcKMAN ET Al. 2,041,730

PRINTING MECHANI SM Filed oet. 1, 1934 s sheets-sheet 5 /M/E/vrae ABE- J. SHICKMAN WALTER, A. THUM @Trae/Vir Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED sTaTss PATENT oFrlcE PRINTING MECHANISM Application October 1, 1934, Serial No. 746,314

3 Claims.

Our invention relates-to improvements in a printing mechanism, and more particularly to a mechanism of the multigraph machine type and has among its objects the production of such a machine, wherein the sheets of paper may beimprinted with more than a single color as the sheets go once through the printing couple.

The invention has among its principal objects the yproduction of such a mechanism that will be neat and simple in construction, appearance and operation, compact, sturdy, economical, and satisfactory and efficient for use wherever found applcable.

One of the main objects of our invention is the provision of means whereby the inking roll is temporarily shifted out of form-inking position at predetermined areas of the form, so that a second inking roll may subsequently ink the firstmentioned area of the form, and both inked areas imprinted on the sheet as the latter is passed between the form cylinder and the platen, thus imprinting in more than one color at a single run.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for actuating the inking roll from form-contacting position temporarily in a predetermined manner, wherein a single lline or any number of lines of the form may pass under an inking roll without being inked at the time, said means being easily and readily adjustable to the precise lines, and the degree of inking to the form accurately regulated.

Many other objects 4and advantages of the construction herein shown and set forth will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, and` uses mentioned, as herein described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the important parts of a printing mechanism;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the same;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View, taken substantially along the line 3.-3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is another fragmentary detail similar to that shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View, taken substantially along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional View,

taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 9;

(Cl. 10i-175) Figure 8 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. tiY

'7, but shown with the set of cams at the other si-de of the machine;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the mechanism; Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the cam used for jumping the inking roll a 10 single line of type;

Figure 11 is a similar view showing the cam arrangement for a plurality of lines;

Figure 12 is a transverse cross-sectional view, taken substantially alongv the line l2-l2 of 15 Fig. 10;

Figure 13 is a similar section, taken substantially along the line I3--l3 of Fig. 11; and

Figure 14 is a detail of a make-ready roll for use with the type cylinder. 20

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, there is shown a printing mechanism of the well-known multigraph type, in which we have used a pair of printing couples arranged in tandem arrangement, the sheets of paper going through the spaced couples in sequence, the framework for supporting the parts being indicated generally as l, and the sheets being fed in the direction of the arrows. 30

Each of the printing couples comprises a pair of members, 2 and 3, one of which is movable relatively of the othel` so as to feed the sheet therebetween and transmit the desired impression thereto during said passage, and in this in- 35 stance the form-carrying member 2 is shown as a cylinder, drum or the like, and the Cooperating member 3 of the couple is the impression cylinder or platen 3 arranged therebelow, the drum being driven through any suitable manner of 40 drive, and the pair of couples being synchronized to rotate with the same peripheral speed so as to perform consecutive operations on the sheets fed therethrough, with perfect registration, as will be more clearly hereinafter described. 45

The drums are arranged tov removably receive type or plates over a portion of its peripheral surface, in the manner commonly used by such mechanisms, or in some other manner if so desired, the drum 2 of the first couple having two 0 impression areas 4 and 5, and the second drum having a pair of impression areas 6 and l. It will be noticed, especially in Figs. 7 and 8, that as the sheet S advances through the printing couple of the first printing unit, there will be imprinted thereon the matter from the areas designated as 4 and 5, spaced apart lengthwise on the sheet. The pair of drums are rotated in synchronization and the type areas on each are so spaced and arranged that the type area 6 will be imprinted between the portions of the sheet spaced between the matter left between the areas previously printed by the type portions 4 and 5, while the type portion 'I may be imprinted to either end of the matter previously imprinted by the areas 4 and 5, the respective imprinted areas being indicated on the sheet as 5', 4', 6', and I.

8 and 9 represent the ink fountains cooperating with the rst and second printing couples, the same having the usual transferl rollers and form roller parts to evenly distribute the ink from the fountain to the impression areas of the form member 2 of the printing couple, there being the inking roll III on a shaft II, and a final or end inking roll I2 that transfers the ink from the roll ID to the type form itself. The construction is such that although the rolls I0 and I2 are always in constant cooperative inking relationship, yet the latter is so mounted to be swung about the shaft I I as a center, through the arm I3 mounted on rsaid shaft and carrying the roll I2, the arm I3 being preferably keyed or otherwise secured to said shaft. It will be noted that as the roll I2 is swung by its arm I3, it maintains its constant engagement with the ink roll IIJ, but is actuated to or from the type form. Therefore, the roll I2 will ink said type form only when it contacts therewith, and when the roll is shifted away from the form temporarily, that particularly intended portion of the form will receive no ink and will not imprint upon the paper passing between the couple thereafter.

In order to control this movement of the inkink roll I2 in a predetermined manner, so as to link only predetermined areas of the impression cylinder during the passage of the impression areas past said inking roll, we have arranged suitable mechanism for this purpose. On each of the shafts I I there is a second arm I4, loosely mountl ed on said shaft, and carrying a small cam roller I5 adjacent its end, said arm also having a projection I6 for cooperation with and opposed to a similar projection I'I carried by the arm I3. A thumb nut or other adjusting means I8 may be "I interposed between said opposed projections I6 and I'I of the arms I3 and I4, and a spring I6 may be arranged about the shafts II for urging the roll I2 toward the type form adjacent thereto.

Cam-receiving members 26 and 2I are mount- `ed to be driven in unison with the impression cylinders, and in the embodiment shown, the member 2i) is arranged at one end of the shaft carrying the impression cylinder, while the other member 2| is at the otherl end of said shaft. An arcuate guide portion 22 is formed on each of said members 2? and ZI, extending for substantially the same circumferential distance as the length of the type form, and being substantially circular in transverse cross-section, said portions `22 being radially spaced from the main body trolling the corresponding ink roller or rollers through the distance of more than a single line, the duration of lift of the cooperating ink roller being of course dependent upon the length of spacer between the end portions of said cam 25. The cam elements are of course of such crosssectional shape that they will be snugly received on and slidably movable along the portions 22 of the members 20 and 2l, and may be held securely in place at any of their selectively adjusted positions by screws 26 which clamp the ends of the elements tightly onto said guide portions 22.

The cam roller I5 carried at the ends of the arms I4 are in the path of rotational movement of the cam elements, and as the. latter are actuated through their path, they intermittently engage the respective rollers, lifting the arms I4 radially outwardly from the cams, this movement being in turn transmitted through the thumb nuts I 8, to the arms I3v keyed to the shafts II, so that the ink rolls I2 are swung about the axis of the shafts II, to shift the ink rolls away from the type forms. As soon as the cam is disengaged from the roller, the shifted ink roll drops to its normal type-engaging position, assisted in this retrieving movement by the action of the spring I9. It is to be again noted that although the ink roll I2 is actuated away from the impression cylinder at intermittent intervals, it is in constant and uninterrupted contact with the cooperating ink roll I0 and will always have a supply of ink ready for covering the impression areas of the form.

One or more ink rolls l2 may be used in connection with any desired impression areas, it being especially desirable to use the two or more rolls where the larger impression areas are to be inked, and in order to` show the use of more than the single ink roll in connection with the device, Figs. 4 and 5v show in greater detail how a pair of ink rolls I2-I2, each having a cam roller control, cooperates with a single cam element on the members 25 or 2I the manner of adjustment by means of the thumb screw being similar to that just described.

Obviously, as the thumb screw I8 is turned to move the cam roller toward the guide portion 22, the ink roll I2 controlled by that particular cam roller will engage heavier against the type (or the ribbon in the event that a ribbon is interposed between the type and ink roll) and make a darker or heavier impression on the printed sheet subsequently passed through the couple. 'Ihe lock nut shown may be used for locking the adjustment at the degree of thickness of inking desired. An oppositely directed adjustment of the thumb nut, will of course, result in a lighter inking of the type, but in both cases the degree of contact of the ink rolls I 0 with their cooperating rolls I 2 is unchanged and constant.

The operation of the device is simply stated, in that when the cams lift any of the ink rollers away from the type or plate cylinder for a predetermined travel of the latter cylinder past the ink roller, that particular segment of the impression area will be un-inked and will not leave the inked impression on the sheet when the latter is passed between the printing couple. However, where it is desired to print in two colors at one run of the sheets through the couple, the ink rolls may be so regulated that one set may deliver ink to only a predetermined area of the impression form, while another set may deliver ink to a different portion, these various portions being suitably spaced on the form, and hence on the resultant printed sheet, to suit the convenience and needs of the user.

Assuming that the inking fountain and cooperating means 8 has a supply of red ink and the corresponding fountain means 9 has the black ink supply in one couple, while the pair of ink fountain means. of the other couple has green and brown inks respectively, the sheets run in sequence through both couples can be imprinted With the four different colors. If it is desired to use only one of the printing couples, the sheets may be imprinted with the two colors in a single run.

The cams at one end of the ink rolls may control the inking with one of the colors to each type or plate cylinder, while those at the other end may control the supply ofI ink to the remainder of the cylinder, it being apparent from the disclosures that any desired portions of the impression form may be inked with either of the colors, as required, and the adjustment therefor, made, each color being independently controlled, so that only one color or both may be fed to the impression form at any time, as determined by the cam spacing.

In order to obtain correct registry of the impression areas of the second couple with that of the first one, we have provided a novel and eifective means disclosed in our co-pending application, Serial No. 746,313, for feeding or carrying the sheets delivered from the rst couple to between the platen and impression areas of the second couple, without any jogging of the sheets during said passage and without contact the freshly printed area of the sheets during such feeding. This is done by suction means engaging that side of the sheets opposite from the imprinted surface, the suction means being rotated in unison with each other and all geared together with the drive of the pair of printing couples, so that these two couples and all of the suction rollers will be driven in synchronism at the same peripheral speed, and therefore cause no undue pull or lag n the sheets at any particular point of the travel. One of such suction rollers 28 is shown more clearly in Fig. 6, having the radially directed apertures 21 therethrough to consecutively cooperate and register with openings 29 through the bed of the device, and with a cut-off sleeve 3U within each suction roller to shut off the action of said suction on that portion of the sheet adjacent the farthest advanced edge of the openings 29, in the direction of movement of said sheets indicated by the arrows.

If desired, and in order to assist in pressing the sheet onto said bed plate, a blower box 3| may be arranged between said spaced couples, the blower nozzles being indicated at 32 communicating with the supply pipe 33. To further accelerate the drying out of the sheets during said passage, the heater element 34 may be arranged to heat the air blown onto the sheets.

Referring again to Figs. 7 and 8, the sheet S is shown in three positions, namely, prior to entry through the printing couples, after passage through the first couple, and after passage through both couples. In Fig. '7 the ink roll of the first drum is in the act of delivering its ink to the area 4 of the impression, but when the cam on said drum engages said ink roll during another portion of the rotation of said drum, said ink roll will be lifted from type engagement, so as not to ink the area 5. In Fig. 8, the double ink rolls are shown as inking the area 5, but will be lifted out of inking engagement as the area 4 passes thereunder subsequently. Thus, it is clearly shown that each cam controls the inking action of a predetermined area of the type or plate cylinder, and that if one of the ink rolls does not ink any specific area, the other roll may be set to deliver its ink thereto, and thus two colors of ink may be delivered to different areas of the impression form, and the sheet passed through the couple will be imprinted in the two colors at a single run, as indicated at 4' and 5. The second drum operates inthe same manner, and is so geared to the rotation of the first drum that the imprinting areas will complete the printing on the sheet, as indicated at 6 and l', so that four colors may be run on the sheet as it passes through both printing couples in tandem.

It is often desirable to build up the impression cylinder or other form-receiving member, so as to have the printing of the desired depth or shade over the entire sheet, or to make-ready, and to this end we have provided the platen or make-ready roll 35 having a removable covering or outer sheet or sheets 35, said roll cooperating with the type or plate roll or drum having the form areas 4 and 5 thereon and being of approximately the same diameter as said drum. In the customary manner, the thickness of the makeready may be built up at the thin areas over the face thereof as test sheets are run through the rolls 2 and 35. A tympan may then be placed over the make-ready for use on the regular run.

What We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination with a printing couple one of the members of which has a printing form thereon, a rotary ink-supply roller, an ink roll in constant engagement with said roller and positioned to be swung relatively of said supply roller into or out of engagement with said form while maintaining said engagement with said roller, and cam means operable in unison with the movement of said couple to swing said roll out of engagement with said form over a predetermined area of the latter.

2. In combination with a printing couple, a rotary ink-supply roller, an ink roll in constant engagement therewith but movable independently of said supply roller to or from the form-carrying member of said couple, means operable by and in unison with the movement of said couple to actuate said ink roll temporarily out of engagement with said form-carrying memberat a predetermined area of the latter, and means to adjust said last-mentioned means to regulate the inking pressure between said roll and said form.

3. In combination with a pair of printing members one of which has the form thereon, an ink roll in constant contact with the ink supply, a second ink roll in constant inking contact with but bodily movable relative to the axis of said first roll and adapted to ink said form, an arm carrying said second roll, a cam roller operably controlling said second roll, a cam to actuate said roller and driven in unison with said printing couple to intermittently operate said cam, and manually adjustable means between said cam and second roll to transmit movement therebetween to control the amount of ink supplied to said form.

ABE J. SHICKMAN. WALTER A. THUM. 

